by Avash Kalra/Senior Writer (@AvashKalra)
After a pair of quarterfinal series last weekend went the distance, the NCHC semifinals are set, and the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. — which will also host the NCAA Frozen Four in just three weeks — welcomes the final four teams in the NCHC this weekend: North Dakota, Denver, St. Cloud State and Omaha.
North Dakota is the top overall seed and also the No. 3 team in the Pairwise. Denver, the second overall seed in the NCHC and in the opposite semifinal from UND, sits at No. 4 in the Pairwise. If the two meet in the final, the winner will not only win the NCHC tournament title, but will also secure the higher No. 1 seed (given to the top four teams in the Pairwise) in the upcoming NCAA tournament.
In the first semifinal on Friday, North Dakota takes on Omaha, the only team that won a road series in the NCHC quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Denver is the only team to appear in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff in all 11 seasons of the league’s existence, though the Pioneers haven’t won the tournament since 2018, Jim Montgomery’s final season as head coach at DU. In the second semifinal Friday night, Denver takes on the defending tournament champions, St. Cloud State. The Huskies are on the outside of the NCAA bubble, and a loss on Friday would end their season.
No. 1 North Dakota (26-10-2, No. 3 in the Pairwise) vs. No. 5 Omaha (22-11-4, No. 11 in the Pairwise)
Earlier this month, North Dakota wrapped up its fourth Penrose Cup (awarded to the NCHC regular season champion) in the past five seasons and did so with two games to spare. Those final two games were in Omaha, playing a Mavericks team that desperately needed wins to give themselves a shot at the NCAA Tournament. Nebraska-Omaha swept UND that final weekend, then battled a viral illness spreading through the locker room last weekend to come from behind on the road at Colorado College, winning the series in three games after losing the playoff opener in overtime.
North Dakota, meanwhile, dismantled Miami in a dominant sweep, outscoring the RedHawks 12-2 during the two games to improve its record to 10-0 all-time in the quarterfinals as the top overall seed.
Now, in short order, the Fighting Hawks and Mavericks square off again. One surprise…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at College Hockey News from CHN…